Judicial Office(Fourth Clerk at the Table (Judicial):
James Vallance White)

1 Purpose

The Office enables the House to carry out its judicial
functions and provides secretarial and administrative services
to the Lords of Appeal.

2 Organisation

The main Office, concerned with the administration
of the judicial work of the House, consists of 11 staff. There
are 2 Clerks, the Taxing Clerk, 4 legal assistants on annual contracts,
3 executive and clerical staff and 2 secretaries. The Law Lords'
Office, which provides secretarial services to the Lords of Appeal,
has 8 full time staff: the Personal Assistant, 6 secretaries and
a senior attendant. There are also 2 judicial doorkeepers. An
additional secretary is on long-term secondment to the inquiry
into the events of ìBloody Sundayî chaired by Lord
Saville of Newdigate. The Principal Clerk is also Registrar of
Lords' Interests.

3 Activities and Financial Performance

The out-turn in relation to appeals was higher than
the previous year, with 76 causes determined and a further 14
heard but awaiting judgment. The backlog of appeals awaiting determination
was slightly reduced to 90. This backlog can only be reduced when
both Appellate Committees sit at once, something rarely possible
as Lords of Appeal sit daily in both the Judicial Committee of
the Privy Council and in the Lords. A fuller statistical account
is set out in Judicial Statistics, published by the Lord Chancellor's
Department.

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

Petitions for leave to appeal

Pending at beginning of year

86

80

89

81

61

Presented during year

236

241

264

252

216

Determined

229

235

273

240

196

of which allowed

58

68

63

62

36

of which refused

156

152

193

164

148

Pending at end of year

93

86

80

73

81

Petitions of appeal

Pending at beginning of year

94

66

53

66

81

Presented during year

79

82

83

83

65

Determined

76

60

60

71

58

Pending at end of year

90

94

66

53

66

The first 4 legal assistants for the Law Lords started work in
October. The scheme has worked well. The LexIcon internet-provided
database was, through the courtesy of the Lord Chancellor's Department,
extended to the Law Lords and their staff. A contract was awarded
for a database of information relating to judicial petitions.
A new arrangement was reached with the Incorporated Council of
Law Reporting to improve the editing of House of Lords opinions.

Fully revised editions of the civil and criminal practice directions
and standing orders were published in November. Besides clarifications
and minor changes to practice, a new direction on appeals relying
on the Human Rights Act 1998 was promulgated.

In July, the House approved the quinquennial rise in judicial
fees. The fee for presenting a civil petition for leave is now
£570 and the House requires £25,000 security for costs
from appellants to protect respondents against fruitless appeals.

The Office retains its responsibility in respect of peerage claims
and a petition claiming two Irish earldoms was referred to the
Committee for Privileges during the year (though later withdrawn).
A Standing Order (10A) makes provision for those who succeed to
hereditary peerages to prove their succession. For straightforward
successions the procedure is simple and free of charge.

Net expenditure by the Office was £141,484 (£112,610
in 1999-00). Total expenditure was £590,988 (£605,060
in 1999-00). This does not include the Law Lords' salaries, which
are paid from the Consolidated Fund. Total receipts were £443,220
(plus VAT refunds of £6,284) (£496,708 in 1999-00),
8% below target. The Taxing Clerk has successfully increased the
number of occasions on which litigants agree their bills before
formal taxation.

4 Future Activities

The coming year should see the implementation
of the petitions database.

A review is to be undertaken of the Law Lords'
medium term needs, to inform a discussion as to how they can best
be met by the House.

The work of the Registrar of Lords' Interests
will be affected by the implementation of the recommendations
of the report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life on
the House of Lords (see page 15 above).